A63200:193
A trial of the new-church way in New-England and in old ... by that…A tryall of the nevv-church vvay in New-England and in old ... by that…
A trial of the new-church way in New-England and in old ... by that learned and godly minister of Christ, John Ball of Whitmore ; penned a little before his death and sent over to the New England ministers, anno 1637, as a reply to an answer of theirs in justification of the said positions ... ; now published ... by William Rathband and Simeon Ash.A tryall of the nevv-church vvay in New-England and in old ... by that learned and godly minister of Christ, John Ball of Whitmore ; penned a little before his death and sent over to the New England ministers, anno 1637, as a reply to an answer of theirs in justification of the said positions ... ; now published ... by William Rathband and Simeon Ash.
London: printed by T. Paine and M. Simmons for Thomas Underhill, 1644
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thus a learned and reverend divine, Circumcision was a seal of the covenant,1 that God made with Abraham concerning Christ that should come as concerning the flesh of Isaac and so of Jacob of whom were the 12 tribes who were the Israelites, &c. Rom. 9. 4. 5. So that as in Abraham's time none were bound to be Circumcised but those that were of his family as being borne there or bought, and so brought thither which were not of his seed: So afterwards none were bound to be Circumcised which were not borne in the family of Jacob and Patriarchs, or joined to them. And after their coming out of Egypt none were bound to be Circumcised but the children of the Jews (then the only Church of God,) and those that desired to join unto them. The sum is thus much, God gave circumcision to Abraham as a seal of the Covenant but whether it was given to other believers in his time it is (at least) a thing uncertain. And if they were not Circumcised it was by reason of the special Institution of God, and peculiar manner of administration of the Covenant of promise which in some respect was proper, to the family of Abraham, and not common to all the visible members of the Church at that time in Church fellowship and order. Afterwards when there were none in covenant but the seed of Jacob or strangers professing the faith of Abraham, circumcision was not to be administered to any man who was not in Covenant nor any man to be admitted to the Passover who was not circumcised. This is the most that can be said with any probability: But hence it will not follow by just analogy or proportion, that the seed of the faithful must not be admitted to Baptism, or visible believers be received to the Lords Supper unless they be set members of some particular congregation united in Church order. Thirdly, presupposing therefore that Melchizedek, Lot and Job, were not Circumcised, we say there is not the like reason of Circumcision and Baptism in this particular. For, first if Circumcision was ever appropriated to the family of Abraham, and might be communicated to other visible Believers, it was in the first Institution and administration; but in the first Institution and administration of Baptism, it was not observed that believers should be first gathered into a political body or Christian church membership,2 and then baptized.